Loyalty
by Reiji Neko Mitsukai
Summary: (Unsure of rating) While Albert was away with the Dragoons, Noish faithfully took care of Serdia until he returned. But what would have happened if Noish wasn't so loyal?
1. New King of Serdia

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Author's note: What **would** happen if Noish wasn't as loyal to Albert as he was in the game? Here's my twisted version of what might happen…

_Chapter One: New King of Serdia_

The entire city of Bale had massed together in front of Indel's Castle, as requested by Minister Noish. The gathering stretched from just feet away from the bottom of the outside staircase and doors of the lower level to well into the city. It had been nearly a year since the beloved King of Serida had left, leaving his trusted advisor to rule in his stead until his return. Most of the people were anxious to hear any detail of his whereabouts and wellbeing. The large group was abuzz with murmuring and discussion. Had His Majesty Albert already returned, cloaked by the darkness of night when he could walk through the city undetected? Or was the news more dark and ominous than the thoughts that dared to pass into the people's minds?

The minister appeared on the third floor balcony, flanked by two palace guards armed with spears and short swords. They stood at attention, facing the crowd. Noish wore his red and yellow patterned robe that nearly reached his ankles. He strode purposefully to the edge of the balcony, his face set and grave as he looked down at the sea of faces below him. The mass of people immediately hushed upon his appearance, men, women, and children alike looking up at the authoritative figure above them.

After several moments, he spoke.

"People of Bale! As you may know, it has been nearly a year since His Majesty King Albert had left on a journey after the death of the Head of the First Knighthood, Lavitz Slambert. I realize that all of you are eagerly awaiting his return." He paused for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice shook slightly. "I received a message the midday before; it's words I wish not to speak of, yet it is my responsibility to share it's telling. There is no subtle way to speak of what it says, nor is there any way I can cushion the blow it is sure to inflict on the good people of Serdia."

The citizens below all held their breaths; numerous couples that were holding hands squeezed tighter as the tension rapidly increased.

"I will be as honest as my heart, mind, and voice will allow me to be: His Royal Highness, King Albert of Serdia-"

He hesitated again, swallowing hard to clear the thickness of his voice.

"- has been killed."

A collective gasp escaped the crowd. Most of the women covered their open mouths with a shaky hand. No one noticed one tear slide down on each of the guards' faces, the clear drops glittering in the sunlight. Their hands griping their spears tightly began to tremble.

"According to the message, he was attempting to return home when he came across a woman being attacked by a group of wandering thieves. He valiantly defended the lady until she escaped; but the numbers against him were too great. His noble sacrifice was a true example of his love of the people. May Soa ever smile upon his memory."

A woman, who had blended in with the crowd and had remained silent as she listened to the speech, now spoke. She wore a faded dark red dress that was nearly down to her ankles. Her hair was dark and wavy, and flowed down past her shoulders and nearly reached her middle back. Her eyes, as dark as her hair, had a lost gleam as they wandered around the many faces that appeared shocked and grieved. Her own face was pale and thin; she looked as though she hadn't slept for days. Her voice was thin, shaky, and quiet.

"He-he speaks the truth…"

The man directly in front of her, as well as those around him, heard her voice and turned towards her. The man, who was nearly a head taller than her, took a step closer to her, his eyes wide and imploring. "Are you the woman?"

Her eyes focused on him, and she nodded slowly. "Aye... That I am. His Majesty fought so bravely… just to save me; a lowly commoner…" Her lower lip began to tremble and moisture welled up in her eyes. "I… I was able to escape, but I stayed and hid… His javelin moved like lightning…" Her voice became thick and she did nothing to hide or clear it. "He- he fell, and… and…" Her head suddenly bowed and her hands came to her face, sobs shaking her thin frame.

"However," continued Noish after taking several moments to compose himself, "Serdia cannot continue without a king. His Majesty Albert entrusted me to care for his country and people in his absence and I will continue to do so. I accept the responsibilities that were once his and vow to care for what he held dearest. No man will ever be able to replace what we have all lost…"

_Meanwhile…_

The King of Serdia, His Majesty Albert, traveled alone along the dirt paths. The sunlight filtered between the leaves of the trees, causing odd bits of sunlight to fall onto the otherwise shaded forest floor. His clothes, worn and dirty from his recently completed journey, rustled slightly with each movement. Potions and spells clinked and jangled in the pack slung over his shoulders, while a javelin was in his right hand and being used as a walking stick. Birds sang and chirped all around him. An occasional breeze of cool air moved around him, causing the free strands of light brown hair (that were already swaying with his step) to move even more. There was a bounce in his step, a smile on his face, a twinkle in his eye, and a glow in his heart. He felt so light-headed he was sure his head would float away in the breeze, the image nearly making him giggle. Thoughts of a certain princess in Tiberoa nearly made him begin skipping. He knew he looked ridiculous and terribly undignified, but he really didn't care.

Albert was, for lack of a better term, completely and utterly _gone_.

Immediately after the second and final defeat of Melbu Frahma, the Dragoons returned to Ulara to recover and heal; not just physically, but emotionally as well. Dart grieved over the loss of his father and Rose; Shana was at his side constantly, leaving him to get food and drink when he wanted to be alone.

A gigantic feast was held in the Wingly city; there was so much food even the Serdian king couldn't help but to eat until he nearly fell asleep in his chair. There were games and contests, some of them the Dragoons even participated in. The festivities carried on long into the night, many falling asleep in the paths as they were too tired to go to their dwellings.

Despite the cheery forefront, a thin aura of sadness lingered with the seven heroes; their task complete, the friends would soon be going their separate ways. It was with great reluctance they left, waving farewell to their Wingly friends and setting off.

They first traveled to Millie Seasu, their last trek together, as Miranda had separated from the group to go home to Queen Teresa. Hashel and Kongol stayed behind as well to wait for a ship heading towards Rouge. The parting moment was sad as embraces were shared and, even though they attempted to hold them back, tears were shed. The remainder of the group continued through the Evergreen Forest, where Meru said her good-byes and headed for the Wingly Forest. She attempted to keep herself collected, but failed and gave enormous hugs through her tears to those she was leaving. Albert, Dart, and Shana- the remaining three- then continued on to Tiberoa and to Fletz, where Albert was reunited with Emille. It was a joyous moment when the two saw each other again, both scarcely being able to contain themselves. King Zior was all smiles as he saw the reaction between the two. The travelers stayed at the castle for the night before resuming their trek, Albert promising the princess he would write to her the moment he returned to his castle. Afterwards they traveled to Seles, where Dart and Shana would settle down. It was late when they arrived, and the couple was happy to let Albert rest before continuing. After tearful embraces, they bid farewell to each other and Albert set off north alone, which brought him to his current position.

Being smitten with the princess of Tiberoa, Albert's mind wandered to the future they would have. How big would the wedding be? Would they have any children? If so, how many? Boy or girl? If they had twins, how would they be able to tell who to pass the crown to? The never-ending possibilities buzzed in his head until he heard a shriek not too far away in front of him.

The dreams immediately disappeared as he leveled his javelin, eyes focusing and ears straining to discover where the sound had come from. He moved faster yet quieter, his muscles becoming hard as the instincts honed by the journey before kicked back into play. It wasn't long before a scene developed before him.

A young woman kneeled in the middle of a circle of men. The woman wore a faded dark red dress. Her hair was wavy and dark, as were her wide, frightened eyes. She cowered as she was poked by an assortment of weapons.

Nine men surrounded her, each with a different weapon. They were obviously thieves; they wore dark clothing and covered the lower halves of the faces with dark bandannas. They laughed as the poor woman shrieked again, one of them prodding her with an axe.

"Nobody's gonna come save you; there ain't anyone around for miles-"

"Is that so?"

The voice made all ten of them turn, weapons leaving the woman and leveling towards the man that had spoken. Albert stood just three yards away, javelin in hand, eyes dark and warning.

_Time Passes…_

It had been several days since Noish had announced Albert' s death to the public. The city had since then returned to their schedules, but at a more sedate pace than before. The people were moving slower, taking the time to remember their beloved king in nearly everything they did.

Noish was currently on his way towards his chambers. Previously being Albert's, the room entered and exited by the door in the throne room. The minister wasted no time in rearranging and redesigning it to his liking.

Noish never did like walking across the walkway that was left open to the breeze. The wind whipped around him, ruffling his brightly colored robe as he hurried across. He quickly opened the door and closed it behind him, his eyes closed in relief. The wind seemed to be getting stronger each passing day since the announcement. He made a mental note to look into getting the walkway covered.

He opened his eyes, and jumped. Two people, a man and a woman, were already inside. The woman had dark hair and eyes, and wore a dark red dress. She sat upon the desk that was previously Albert's, her arms supporting her upper body by leaning forward with the heels of her hands on the edge of the desktop. Her legs were crossed at the ankles, swinging just enough for the heel of her shoes to tap the side. The male had black hair that was cut short, save a small ponytail in the back. His eyes were a shade of blue. Stubble on his face suggested that he hadn't shaved in a while. He wore mostly black clothes, with a black bandanna that was meant to cover the lower half of his face. He was sitting in the chair with his feet propped up on the desk. Upon Noish's entrance they both looked up to see the surprise on his face. They both grinned at the expression.

Noish took a step from the door, still looking surprised. "H- how did you get here?"

The man smirked and his eyes glittered in amusement. "Well, well; lookie here: the new King of Serdia all dressed for success. How's it going, _your majesty_?"

"What do you want?" asked Noish, stepping closer. The surprise had worn off and he looked at them as though he was looking at something of an inferior species.

The woman suddenly turned serious, her features a scowl as she hopped off of the desk and approached him, stopping when they were face to face. Her voice was low and demanding. "Look old man; we want our money. **Now**."

Noish didn't seem to be intimidated by the force in her voice. "Did you complete your task?"

The man stepped up behind her, serious as well. "We did what you told us to. Now give us what you promised."

"So your target no longer lives?"

They both glowered at him, yet said nothing.

Noish's brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed.

"_Is Albert dead, or did you fail_!"

_To Be Continued…_

Author's note: hides behind furniture and waives little white flag Before I get flamed to a crisp for this; please let me explain! I don't hate Noish; if it wasn't for him, who knows what could have happened to Serdia while Albert was gone! This just kinda popped into my mind while I was doing my homework after school one day, and wouldn't go away until I got it down. Don't blame me; blame World History class!

However, this isn't the end, in case you couldn't tell. If I get two or more reviews I'll continue.


	2. Three Weeks

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in the game.

Author's note: I'm glad some people actually took an interest in this fic; I was worried I would be flamed to a crisp by this time… although things don't really get any better for our poor Albert.

Freefall Insanity: BERT. ( XD Sorry. Had to do it.) I'm glad to see you like it, and I don't think I've ever heard Noish described that way before...

M4r1-ch4n: Thanks! And I've read it both ways, so I guessed. -shrugs-

Marinawings: Thanks. I try to keep the readers coming back, even though my updates are few and far between...

_Chapter Two: Three Weeks_

Being the king of Serdia, Albert had seen many things in his lifetime. Some made him cry, such as when Lavitz, his best friend since they were just young ones, before his very eyes had died, impaled by a sword. The relief and joy of seeing him again in Mayfil was profound, nearly filling his eyes with tears again.

Once again, he was nearly moved to tears. This time, it was the sight of Indel's Castle in the distance, the sunlight reflecting brilliantly off of the white stones and seemingly lighting his pathway home.

Home. The word seemed to have a new meaning now; after all the time that had passed and all that had happened, he was returning home. He had experienced so much; fought in so many battles… and now, with the end of his journey less then an hour's walk away, he knew that he would now never take for granted all that he had.

He entered the town, and began to wonder if something was wrong. The people he passed by in the street were looking at him strangely- frightened, even- and some ran into their homes and shut the doors tightly. Children were pulled closer to their mothers and mothers were pulled behind their husbands. The people tensed as he passed. It only became worse as he entered the castle; many of the guards became pale and held their weapons tighter. Several even ran, heading straight for the throne room; he assumed it was to inform Noish of his return. As he climbed up the steps leading to the throne room, his Warrior's Sense became tense, a hard feeling in the pit of his stomach forming. With a slight hesitation, he pushed open the doors and entered the throne room.

Noish was standing in front of the throne, turned to the left and talking with one of the knights that had run. This was another clue to Albert that something was wrong: Noish usually stood to the right of the throne, not in front of it. Upon the king's entrance Noish quickly turned, his face stretched into a look of shock and near horror. He stood there for a moment, unable to say or do anything. Then the knight he was previously speaking to spoke.

"Your Majesty Noish! Look! The Ghost of King Albert has come to haunt us!"

Albert was stunned. '_"Your Majesty Noish"? "Ghost"? What-_'

"This… this is no ghost…" announced the elder man, his voice shaking slightly. "This is…"

The heavy feeling in his stomach suddenly hit rock bottom.

"… an impostor!"

'_WHAT?_'

"Guards! Seize him!"

Two of the guards in the room suddenly rushed forward, taking him roughly by the arms and holding him in place. He resisted the instinct to struggle and looked up at Noish, his soft brown eyes wide and almost pleading.

"Noish! It's me; Albert! You must-"

"Silence!" ordered the newly appointed king sharply, glaring down at the young man below him. "How dare you come here looking like our late king during the kingdom's time of grieving! You will never gain the power of the throne by such deception! Guards; strip him of weapons and provisions, then put him in the dungeon!"

Realizing communication wouldn't work, Albert moved on to plan B. Adrenaline coursed through his veins and with his mind sharp for battle he began to struggle, his muscles tightening and becoming solid as he tried to wrench his way free from the guards' grip. One of the men came off, but then immediately came back, trying to pin Albert's arm behind his back. Several more guards came at a rush, and they began to try to pull him down to the floor. Eyes alight with battle, Albert's mind reached out for the Jade Dragoon Spirit nestled safely under his clothing near his chest.

He never saw the spear coming.

The second the wooden pole struck the back of his skull, his jaw dropped and his head tiled back, a strangled gasp escaping him. Then the light of battle faded from his eyes and he collapsed to the floor, the guards falling with him. As the world faded to black around him, he could faintly hear Noish roaring orders to the guards.

"Get him to the cells below immediately! He must be guarded at all times! Do not listen to a word he says!..."

_Time Passes…_

When he came to, the fist thing he noticed was the throb of pain in the back of his head. The surface he lay on was hard and warmed only by his body heat. He had been lying on his left side for hours at the very least. His eyes slowly opened as a low groan escaped him. A stone floor stretched on underneath him, iron bars stretching up to the ceiling. To his left- or what seemed like above him, due to his point of view- he saw a pile of straw lying on the floor. He was in a cell, he realized with a mental start. He slowly sat up, a hand going to the back of his head as he sat himself on the floor and leaned against the wall. His left shoulder cried in protest against being moved after staying in the same uncomfortable position for such an extended amount of time.

The cell was no larger than five walking paces wide and long. Dim moonlight streamed in from a small barred window above his head, causing the stones of the floor to shine the light back into his eyes. He noted the glimmer of light reflecting off of the armor of a guard just outside his cell door. His javelin and backpack were gone. His Dragoon Spirit…

A hand immediately shot up to his chest, his mind becoming strung up on a stab of panic. He relaxed as he felt the familiar hard sphere press against his skin; they hadn't found his Dragoon Spirit when they took his weapons. He wouldn't be able to use it now; the guard would surely notice the glow and set up an alarm. He would try when the glow would be less noticeable, perhaps sometime in the day. He would need the time to recover from the sudden blow to his head as well. He would attempt to make sense out of this seeming nightmare then.

He settled back down onto his left side, his upper body resting in the straw. His left arm was positioned on the straw for use as a pillow, while his right moved the cape of his outfit to cover most of his body as a blanket. As his eyes closed his right hand came to his chest, resting over where the jade stone sat nestled safely in his clothing. He drew a sort of comfort from it; as long as he had that spirit, he knew he wouldn't be completely defenseless.

_Time Passes…_

He awoke again to see sunlight shining down on the stone floor from the barred window. Another guard stood outside his cell door, his back to the prisoner.

Albert slowly sat back up, allowing his stiff muscles to stretch out. His head still throbbed, although not as much as it had the night before. He felt a little hungry, but other than that and his head he felt fine. He brought his knees to his chest and let his back rest against the wall. He needed to think and identify his situation.

One: He was imprisoned by his own knights and was being held in the dungeon of his own castle.

Two: Everyone believes that Albert the King of Serdia is dead and thus believes him to be an impostor.

Three: Upon learning of his "death", Noish had taken the throne and is now considered the king.

Four: Noish had ordered the knights not to listen to him.

There _had_ to be a way to convince them that he was Albert! But with Noish's order to not to listen to him, it will be more difficult. What could he say? No doubt many things about him were widely known; Emperor Doel was his uncle, his mother had died at his birth, his father was murdered, his best friend, Lavitz Slambert, had been murdered, the Moon Gem was surgically implanted into him when he was six… He could show them the scar left from the procedure, but he doubted anyone would look at him long enough to see it.

He began to rub the bridge of his nose. It was frustrating; was there _anything_ he could do?

He felt a pulse of power against his chest. Would the stone wall be able to withstand a Gaspless? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

He frowned. No. That wouldn't help him at all. He wanted to prove he truly was the rightful King of Serdia. Breaking out would only support the theories of him being an impostor. Besides, he didn't want to damage the castle.

The jingle of keys snapped him out of his thoughts and his eyes shot upwards to the door. A knight opened the door slightly, putting a jug of water inside before closing it again. The man didn't look like a Knight of Serdia, and Albert didn't remember seeing him around the castle. Nevertheless, he lowered one knee in preparation to get up, then paused as he noticed something.

His brow furrowed slightly. "Only water? No bread?"

The knight smirked. "His Majesty Noish's orders. You'll be given food when you drop whatever spell you've got that's making you look like King Albert." He didn't talk like a knight either.

Albert blinked. "And what if I don't?"

"Heh. You'll be losing a lot of weight then." He walked off without another word.

Albert remained on the floor, staring at the jug of water. The entire situation just got more complicated.

Five: He has, at the very most, three weeks to live.

_To Be Continued…_

Author's note: Well, what do you guys think? Is the starving Albert a good idea or a bad idea?… For the story, I mean. Not for him.

Re-uploaded chapter one as well, so it would match this chapter as well. Otherwise nothing else changed.


	3. Calling For Help

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone in the game. You should know that by now.

Author's note: Bwahahaha. Third chapter. Poor Albert's going to lose some weight in this one.

_Chapter Three: Calling For Help_

He was hungry. And bored.

He had been in the dungeon for two days. He began to make small tally marks on the wall. Two days of nothing but sitting and waiting. He tried talking to the guards, but they followed their orders and kept silent. There was nothing to do besides count the stones in the walls and pieces of hay. They could _at least_ give him a _book _or something!

Although the guard outside his cell door didn't seem to be doing much better. The man shifted every once in a while, and yawned often. Despite his situation, Albert felt sorry for him. No doubt guard duty was just as bad as being a prisoner. He may be able to leave halfway through the day, but he had to stand the entire time.

But he would still prefer taking a watch around a campfire. At least there it was only for an hour or two, and there were people and things to look at. Usually Dart would wake up early and talk to him for a little bit before taking his turn at watch. Occasionally Meru would wake up and- as she called it- "bug" him for a little while.

Albert sighed and let his head rest back against the wall. His mind was wandering. He was starting to weaken. If he didn't do something soon he would waste away here. It wouldn't have been so bad normally, but with the refusal to give him food…

When was the last time he had a good meal? Ah yes; that's right… In Seles, when he stayed with Dart and Shana for the night before returning to Bale. Shana was so happy to return home after all that time…

He needed to do something soon. If only there was some way he could get someone to _listen_ to him… But who would? Certainly none of the knights, and hardly any maids came down to the dungeon. He needed someone who knew him well, like Noish or…

A hand came to his chest as he felt to the stone glow faintly.

… Or one of the Dragoons.

Would it work? He wouldn't know until he tried it. It would take Dart- no doubt Shana would come with him- about a day to come to Bale from Seles. Perhaps a week or so for the others to arrive, giving him a little less than two weeks left. If he could convince them that he truly was the King of Serdia, maybe- just maybe- they would be able to convince Noish. Then he would be released and would retake the throne. And then…

He would go right for the kitchens.

Keeping his hand over the Dragoon Spirit, he closed his eyes. He felt his mind connect with it, but didn't transform. That would take more energy that he needed to live.

'_Spirit of the Jade Dragon, lend me your strength…_'

He felt it begin to pulse.

'_Dart, Kongol, Hashel, Miranda, Meru…_'

He tightened his hold on the stone.

'… _Help me…_'

_Meanwhile…_

The Divine Dragoon let his forearms rest on the wood, letting the sea air blow back his blonde spikes. He was wearing his trademark red armor; he would never get rid of it, it's been with him through so much. His ice-blue eyes watched out in the distance. He was waiting for the island of Rouge to appear on the horizon. He and Shana had left Seles again to visit Hashel and Kongol. Mostly, though, because he figured his grandfather would want to be one of the first to know of his engagement.

Shana was so surprised when he asked her. For a few moments, he thought her eyes were going to pop out off her head. Then she laughed and cried, and couldn't seem to hug him enough. Or say "yes" enough times either. The entire village had watched on and he could have sworn he had heard the applause echo from the Limestone Caves.

"There you are!"

The words made him turn to look over his shoulder, but he already knew who it was by the sound of the voice.

Long brown hair trailed behind her as the wind brushed the strands back. Amber-hued eyes as bright as the sun watched him as she smiled gently. A pale yellow dress- one of the dressier of the clothes she had brought, as they expected to arrive that day- billowed behind her. She stepped up next to him, and they smiled at each other.

"Thinking again?" she asked, and he put an arm around her.

"We'll be arriving soon. I still don't know how I'm going to tell him."

She leaned into him and closed her eyes. A gust of wind passed by and he closed his eyes as well, just enjoying her presence.

_Help me…_

He suddenly stiffened and opened his eyes. What was that, and where did it come from?…

Shana opened her eyes, feeling him move. His brow had furrowed, and a frown had come to his face. "Dart? What is it?"

He glanced at her before letting his eyes scan the sea before him. "I think I just heard someone call for help…"

Suddenly, a momentary burst of light erupted from inside his armor, taking them both by surprise. Dart quickly reached in through his collar and pulled out the Divine Dragoon Spirit.

The gem was pulsing it's multi-hued light urgently in his hand, and showed no signs of slowing down or stopping.

_Meanwhile…_

"Come ON Guaraha! Let's GO!"

Meru tapped her foot as she waited impatiently outside his door. She was wearing her usual outfit- ribbons included- as well as her Dragoon Spirit around her neck.

"I'm coming!" called his voice through the door, slightly muffled. "Just give me a few more minutes!"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. Her fiancé **finally **agreed to let her show him around the world she had come to love. She was just so excited; there were so many things she wanted to show him! Bale, Albert's castle, the Crystal Palace, Lohan, Fletz, Rouge, Seles… If only he wasn't taking so long just to get ready to go!…

After a few more minutes, the door opened and Guaraha came out, a pack over his shoulders. His silver hair was a bit disheveled from rushing around to pack quickly, despite the red headband. "Okay. I'm ready now."

Meru grinned. "Great!" She suddenly grabbed his right wrist and started pulling him out the door that lead outside. "You're gonna love it! First we'll go to the Crystal Palace and visit Miranda! Then we'll go to Tiberoa and see Fletz! And then…!"

She continued on, outlining her plans for his tour of the world and almost dragging him to the edge of the forest. She even talked through the teleporters, and had almost reached the barrier. A breeze blew past them.

"… We'll go to Seles and visit Dart an' Shana and we-!"

_Help me…_

She was suddenly cut off as the gem around her neck erupted with blue light, taking the pair by surprise. They both abruptly stopped and Guaraha gasped. Meru stood shocked, her ruby eyes wide. The light faded and began to pulse at a steady rate. Several moments passed before either of them moved.

"What was _that_?" he asked.

"I… I think one of my friends needs help…"

"Can you tell who?"

She shook her head. "I… I gotta go-!" She moved towards the barrier, but felt something grab her left wrist. She turned to see Guaraha staring into her eyes intently. His expression was dead serious.

"I'm coming with you."

Meru stared for a few moments, her eyes still wide. She swallowed hard, then nodded.

_Meanwhile…_

"Okay everyone; let's take a break!"

With a collective sigh, the numerous students simply sat down on the wooden platform, some actually sprawling themselves out to rest their tired limbs. The breeze from the nearby ocean, although a bit warm, helped immensely.

The Master of the Rouge School looked out at his array of pupils, most groaning about aching muscles. He grinned through his black mustache.

"Heh. Amateurs."

Still grinning, he put both hands behind his back and casually walked to the edge of the platform. He then sat himself down and let his legs dangle over the side, his hands on the edges of the wood. It was good to be back in Rouge. There were always students to teach and fish to eat. Nothing ever seemed to change here, but that was fine with him. Everyone that goes on a journey needs something to come back to, even if it was just a simple fishing village.

The boards underneath him vibrated and he looked up to see a Giganto sit beside him. Ah yes. Kongol, the newest and by far largest of Hashel's students, caused quite a stir in Rouge. At first, the younger residents seemed to be wary of him, if not afraid. But soon they began to warm up to the giant. Now the kids all loved him, and Hashel could tell he enjoyed the attention. Despite his rather huge frame, the children have proven that behind the armor and muscles, Kongol was a teddy bear. More often than not he could be found napping with numerous young ones during the noon break, being used as a pillow by as many as ten small heads at once. Parents were no longer concerned when their children played around the jungle; as long as "Mr. Kongol" was nearby, no harm would befall a single child.

Apparently Kongol and that Belzac fellow had more in common than being the Earth Dragoons.

"So, got the kids to leave you alone today, hmm?"

He shrugged his huge shoulders. "Kongol not mind. What Hashel thinking?"

"Oh, not much. Letting my mind wander, really." He looked back out into the ocean. "Although I do wonder what everyone else is doing."

"Kongol wonder that too." A rather strong gust of wind blew past them, this one a little cooler than usual.

_Help me…_

Both of them started, then looked at each other, surprised and somewhat alarmed.

"You hear that?"

The elder man nodded. "But _who_…?

Simultaneously their Dragoon Spirits around their necks burst to life, golden and violet lights alarming the students behind them. The two Dragoons both pulled their Spirits from around their necks, holding them as they began to pulse in a synchronized manner.

Hashel looked out towards the ocean. "What…"

Kongol gripped the golden gem tighter. "Something happening…"

_Meanwhile…_

"How do you feel?"

The blonde in the bed smiled at her sister, despite the pain in her back. "Better. The doctor says I will make a full recovery."

Blue eyes shot from the woman to the window. "Good." The First Sacred Sister, with one hand on her hip, walked to the window and opened it. The snow outside made the cold air crisp and fresh, a rather shocking but still nice change from the stuffy air inside. The ground outdoors quite literally glittered as the sunlight reflected off the snowflake-covered ground, the snowfall from just hours before covering everything in a layer of white.

After observing the world outside, Miranda tossed her head a bit to move some blonde strands from her face, then turned back to Wink in the bed. As much as she hated to admit it, she had been worrying about the Third Sacred Sister as much as Queen Theresa and the others. Being abandoned and then orphaned in her younger years had not only made her bitter and aloof, but also made her come to highly value the family she had now. An oddity in itself, but she wasn't going to be the one to question the outcome. As she had once heard Dart tell Rose: let the past be in the past, and think about the future.

"You're still not eating, are you?" A pointed glance at the mostly full tray at the bedside accentuated her question.

Wink looked away and her eyes lowered to her hands in her lap. She couldn't stand those glares that appeared in Miranda's eyes when she was worried or concerned. "I ate a little…" she admitted quietly.

A disgusted sound escaped her throat as she rolled her eyes. "I _still _don't understand what you saw in him."

"He saved my life twice," the younger woman reasoned softly. "He wasn't an entirely bad person."

Miranda bit back a tart curse, but not the rest of it. "He killed countless people by giving Emperor Doel those Dragoon Spirits and the control of a dragon with them! He murdered King Albert of Serdia's best friend with his own sword! He _used you _to get to Queen Theresa! And you're telling me he _wasn't an entirely bad person_?"

Wink suddenly looked up at her and their eyes locked, intense and infuriated to calm and, hidden deep in them, sad. Her voice remained level and composed.

"He was willing to make amends for the mistakes he had made. He himself put down his sword and subjugated himself to Dart's wrath. You may think he attacked Melbu Frahma for his own selfish idea, but I know- _I know_- he knew it was the right thing to do. He knew the chances of him surviving a frontal assault were slim. He…" Her voice shook then, and she inhaled a slow breath. "… He knew."

The standoff continued for several more moments before Miranda huffed angrily and turned her back towards Wink. She swiped away the hair that was blown into her face by the wind that had blown in through the window.

_Help me…_

The White-Silver Dragoon Spirit, which she considered too important to just leave lying around and thus had put on a necklace, suddenly exploded a bright light. A startled "Oh!" escaped the woman behind her as the Dragoon took a step back in surprise, looking down at the gem. After a moment it began to pulse at an urgent and continuous pace.

'_Oh no. Nonononono. No! I JUST got HOME!_'

_To Be Continued…_

Author's Note: So not _only _is Miranda on the way, but she's rather ticked off as well. Anyone else sense Noish's imminent doom?

And does anyone else find the "Edit/Preview" a pain to use?


End file.
